Inspire, Motivate and Engage (IME) is an online training provider that helps people enhance their professional development skills through distance learning courses. As part of a new CSR initiative IME are offering funded training to small UK enterprises and charities.

Claire Atkinson, founder and CEO of IME, explains, “Last year we conducted some research to get a greater understanding about the challenges facing businesses in 2014. We found that 90% of small businesses and 92% charities felt that career development opportunities are one of the best ways to engage staff, yet many are faced with massively reduced training budgets. This is why we decided to offer a number of funded places on our training courses to small businesses and charities from across the UK”.

Courses available will include Management and Leadership, Career Coaching, and Peak Performance and all can be completed remotely using online technology. The project will affect 100 small businesses and 200 charities this year.

The project will enable smaller businesses to experience the benefits that training courses provide, and will raise brand awareness while supporting the growth of charities and small businesses therefore increasing the chances of them investing in further training facilities in the future.

Donna Pearson, general manager of the charity Pathways to Independence, explains why receiving the grant has been so beneficial, “As a newly merged organisation, Pathways to Independence understands that one of the keys to sustainability is investment in a skilled and motivated staff team. The management and leadership development course offers an excellent opportunity for staff to study in a way that enhances their skills and offers flexibility to study at their own pace whilst gaining a recognised qualification that will enhance their personal development.”